Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts on the practice courts on day nine of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London on July 5, 2022. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for cocaine, the agency announced on Aug. 19.
“I made a huge mistake and I take full responsibility for it,” the Australian said in an Instagram post the same day. “Above all, I’m sorry to the kids who follow me. I know the example this sets and I’m deeply disappointed in myself.”
The 31-year-old was tested during an ATP 250 event in Mallorca, Spain, on June 22, and the presence of the banned substance was confirmed on July 17. The agency said his suspension began on Aug. 4.
Kyrgios faces a ban of up to four years, but a lighter sanction may be applied if the substance was determined to be used away from events.
During his suspension, Kyrgios won’t be allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organized or sanctioned by major tennis organizations including ATP, WTA, and the Grand Slams.
Since his best season in 2022—where he reached the Wimbledon final before losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic—Kyrgios’s career has been in a steep decline. He has only played in 10 tour-level singles matches since, and he has won only two.
Kyrgios, now ranked 919th, said he’s felt helpless and alone amid recent injuries and described the difficulty of letting go of tennis, while adding that it doesn’t excuse his actions.
“The last couple of years of injuries have taken a huge toll on me, both physically and mentally. My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do, and coming near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined,” he said.
Kyrgios, who’s become involved in commentating matches while injuries kept him off the court, said he’ll be stepping away from social media and public life for 28 days while focusing on his recovery.
In the past, Kyrgios has been highly critical of other players who have received doping
suspensions
but said they were accidents.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension in 2024 after she tested positive for TMZ, a heart medication. The ITIA accepted the Polish player’s explanation that it was caused by contamination in melatonin she had taken for jet lag.
“The excuse that we can all use is that we didn’t know. Simply didn’t know. Professionals at the highest level of sport can now just say ‘we didn’t know,’” Kyrgois said on X in response to Swiatek saying it was unintentional.
Men’s world No. 1 and five-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner accepted a three-month suspension in February 2025 after testing positive for Clostebol in 2024.
The Italian star’s explanation was that there were trace amounts of the drug from a trainer who cut his finger and later gave Sinner a massage. The ITIA accepted this explanation but still gave him the suspension.
“So you were innocent and we were getting fed that you were innocent but now you are suspended from playing the sport? Make it make sense. I’ve got multiple players in my DM’s on how putrid this is … even Grand Slam champions,” Kyrgios said on X with a laughing emoji after the suspension was announced.
Kyrgios also said that a precedent has been set that if you are a superstar and bring money to the sport, loopholes will be applied in your favor; but if you don’t, the tennis authorities won’t hesitate to make an example out of you.
The ITIA has allowed Kyrgios to appeal his suspension, but he has not done so.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
